Author Topic: LIVE: Space Falcon 9 Flight 2 Static Fire - December 4, 2010 (Read 166472 times)

Chris Bergin · « **on:** 12/02/2010 03:30 pm »

Nice work SpaceX with the webcast! Live coverage event then

SpaceX to Webcast Static Fire on Friday

Cape Canaveral, FL – On Friday, December 3rd, SpaceX will webcast its static fire test of the Falcon 9 rocket engines at www.spacex.com.

The webcast is set to begin at 8:00 AM Eastern/ 5:00 AM Pacific, with the actual static fire targeted for 9:00 AM Eastern/ 6:00 AM Pacific.

This first stage firing is part of a full launch dress rehearsal at the Space Launch Complex 40 at the U.S. Air Force Station at Cape Canaveral in preparation for the first Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) launch of the Dragon spacecraft. The rehearsal will exercise the countdown processes and end after the engines fire at full power for two seconds, with only the hold-down system restraining the rocket from flight.

After the test, SpaceX will conduct a thorough review of all data as engineers make final preparations for the upcoming launch.

Using rocket-grade kerosene and liquid oxygen, the nine Merlin engines generate one million pounds of thrust in vacuum. The Merlin engine is the highest performing American hydrocarbon rocket engine ever flown.

SpaceX uses a hold-before-release system — a capability required by commercial airplanes but rarely implemented on launch vehicles. After the first stage engine ignites, the Falcon 9 is held down and not released for flight until all propulsion and vehicle systems are confirmed to be operating normally. An automatic safe shut-down will occur and propellants will be unloaded if any issues are detected

SpaceX plans to launch its Dragon spacecraft into low-Earth orbit atop a Falcon 9 rocket. The Dragon capsule is expected to orbit the Earth at speeds greater than 17,000 miles per hour, reenter the Earth’s atmosphere, and land in the Pacific Ocean a few hours later. This will be the first attempt by a commercial company to recover a spacecraft reentering from low-Earth orbit. It is a feat performed by only 6 nations or government agencies: the United States, Russia, China, Japan, India, and the European Space Agency.

It is also the first flight under NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program to develop commercial supply services to the International Space Station. After the Space Shuttle retires, SpaceX will fly at least 12 missions to carry cargo to and from the International Space Station as part of the Commercial Resupply Services contract for NASA. The Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft were designed to one day carry astronauts; both the COTS and CRS missions will yield valuable flight experience toward this goal.

If launch is a go, SpaceX plans to broadcast the entire launch live at www.spacex.com between December 7th and 9th.

For more on the Falcon 9 visit http://www.spacex.com/falcon9.php.

About SpaceX

SpaceX is developing a family of launch vehicles and spacecraft that will increase reliability and performance of space transportation, while ultimately reducing costs by a factor of ten. With the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 rockets, SpaceX has a diverse manifest of commercial and government customers for the delivery of satellites to orbit. After the Space Shuttle retires, the Falcon 9 and SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft will start carrying cargo, including live plants and animals, to and from the International Space Station for NASA. Falcon 9 and Dragon were developed to one day carry astronauts

Founded in 2002, SpaceX is a private company owned by management and employees, with minority investments from Founders Fund, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, and Valor Equity Partners. The company has over 1,100 employees in California, Texas and Florida. For more information, and to watch the video of the first Falcon 9 launch, visit the SpaceX website at SpaceX.com.

corrodedNut · « **Reply #1 on:** 12/02/2010 04:07 pm »

Now all we need is for Jim to go to his window and tell us if it has rolled out yet....

KSC Sage · « **Reply #2 on:** 12/02/2010 04:57 pm »

Quote from: corrodedNut on 12/02/2010 04:07 pm

Now all we need is for Jim to go to his window and tell us if it has rolled out yet....

Falcon 9 is vertical on the pad.

corrodedNut · « **Reply #3 on:** 12/02/2010 05:01 pm »

Thanks!

arnezami · « **Reply #4 on:** 12/02/2010 07:52 pm »

Just a tiny update.

They seem to be testing their webcast stream since they are streaming (colored) backgrounds now...

http://www.spacex.com/webcast.php

I never thought I would be excited about dumb stream tests.

But really. This is actually about to happen: a brand new commercially developed spacecraft is going to fly! And return.

I just have to see this.

e of pi · « **Reply #5 on:** 12/02/2010 08:28 pm »

Can anyone get an image of the craft vertical?

jabe · « **Reply #6 on:** 12/02/2010 09:48 pm »

Spaceflight now has an update..
jb

butters · « **Reply #7 on:** 12/02/2010 09:53 pm »

Wow, a full hour of the countdown will be webcast! I guess the webcast will start at the completion of tanking (or thereabouts), since the countdown starts at T-2h30m and LOX tanking begins at T-2h15m. However I know there's a built-in hold at T-5m, and I can't remember how long it is.

At least that's how the count was scheduled for Flight 1. SpaceX claims they will eventually get the whole pad flow from rollout to launch down to 60 minutes, so obviously they think they have lots of play in the countdown that they can squeeze out as the operation matures. Way too soon for any of that, though, especially with a brand-new vehicle on top.

SpaceX SOP used to be to start the launch webcast at L-20m, just like ULA. I remember that during the F1 Flight 5 webcast, they ran out of time to show all of the prerecorded videos they wanted to play before they had to go live to the last couple minutes before launch.

Hopefully the hour-long buildup will become their new SOP.

ugordan · « **Reply #8 on:** 12/02/2010 10:12 pm »

Quote from: butters on 12/02/2010 09:53 pm

However I know there's a built-in hold at T-5m, and I can't remember how long it is.

The holds on flight #1 attempts were always at T-15 min. At T-10 min the terminal count sequence started and ran with no interruptions all the way through liftoff.

Quote from: butters on 12/02/2010 09:53 pm

Hopefully the hour-long buildup will become their new SOP.

I don't expect this to happen. There's just not much to talk about for an hour, not to mention including possible holds. I fully expect little to no commentary tomorrow. Which is perfectly fine, actually.

FinalFrontier · « **Reply #9 on:** 12/03/2010 06:22 am »

Okay so at 8:00 for me. Drat, will be working. Hopefully it does go right at 8 then I can still see it

Hopefully there are no startup issues as there were last time. That caused quite a delay.

jabe · « **Reply #10 on:** 12/03/2010 10:33 am »

webcast page is now showing a video to verify if your configuration works...
http://www.spacex.com/webcast.php

edit
from webcast page.

SpaceXMissions New webcast start time: 11 AM Eastern / 8 AM Pacific / 16:00 UTC.

SpaceXMissions Earliest static test fire T-zero time now: 12 noon Eastern / 9 AM Pacific / 17:00 UTC.

Edit #2
I like the pic on the main SpaceX page that shows the Dragon and some of its "plumbimg"

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #11 on:** 12/03/2010 01:20 pm »

Just a bit of a repeat on Jabe's post, but SpaceX also send the media:

UPDATE: The webcast is not (I think they mean "now") set to start at 11:00 AM EST. Static fire could begin as early as noon.

http://www.spacex.com/webcast.php

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #12 on:** 12/03/2010 01:22 pm »

Also from SpaceX PAO:

"Attached is a picture of the Falcon 9/Dragon being rolled to the pad yesterday"

corrodedNut · « **Reply #13 on:** 12/03/2010 01:49 pm »

Check out these new photos: http://twitpic.com/photos/SpaceXer

corrodedNut · « **Reply #14 on:** 12/03/2010 02:02 pm »

And more: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=577915&id=353851465130&fbid=10150333616945131&ref=mf

HOTTOL · « **Reply #15 on:** 12/03/2010 02:57 pm »

Quote from: jabe on 12/03/2010 10:33 am

webcast page is now showing a video to verify if your configuration works...
http://www.spacex.com/webcast.php

edit
from webcast page.

SpaceXMissions New webcast start time: 11 AM Eastern / 8 AM Pacific / 16:00 UTC.

SpaceXMissions Earliest static test fire T-zero time now: 12 noon Eastern / 9 AM Pacific / 17:00 UTC.

Edit #2
I like the pic on the main SpaceX page that shows the Dragon and some of its "plumbimg"

What's the use of the "plumbing" plugged into the trunk ?

jongoff · « **Reply #16 on:** 12/03/2010 02:57 pm »

I like the music they have running right now with the highlights.

Robotbeat · « **Reply #17 on:** 12/03/2010 02:58 pm »

Quote from: HOTTOL on 12/03/2010 02:57 pm

Quote from: jabe on 12/03/2010 10:33 am
webcast page is now showing a video to verify if your configuration works...
http://www.spacex.com/webcast.php

edit
from webcast page.

SpaceXMissions New webcast start time: 11 AM Eastern / 8 AM Pacific / 16:00 UTC.

SpaceXMissions Earliest static test fire T-zero time now: 12 noon Eastern / 9 AM Pacific / 17:00 UTC.

Edit #2
I like the pic on the main SpaceX page that shows the Dragon and some of its "plumbimg"

What's the use of the "plumbing" plugged into the trunk ?

My guess is it's just a nitrogen purge.

Jim · « **Reply #18 on:** 12/03/2010 02:59 pm »

Quote from: HOTTOL on 12/03/2010 02:57 pm

What's the use of the "plumbing" plugged into the trunk ?

ECS, conditioned air

jongoff · « **Reply #19 on:** 12/03/2010 03:00 pm »

And the not so subtle (and quite sobering) reminder at the start that in 2011 when the Shuttle retires, for a while Dragon will be the only domestic provider of access to ISS...